Black and White Scanned Negatives
Black and white photography can be absolutely beautiful, as well as, offer a unique perspective on any subject. By removing color you can bring out the hidden details, textures, patterns and shapes. When you shoot in color, you use that color to 'tell' your audience what to look at, whether it's a bright red doorknob, like in The Sixth Sense, or an emerald green dress, like in Vertigo. Shooting in black and white—you don't have that option.
When you create a black and white image, you’ve taken away the key element that creates interest in the human brain—color. You now have to find other ways to attract the brain’s attention. One of the ways that you have accomplished this is through the use of shadows. Most of us probably have some childhood memory of standing outside, late in the day, and looking at our long shadow stretched out across some piece of pavement. Shadows attract attention, and they are visually exciting even to someone who isn’t particularly interested in photography.
Another way you attracted my brain’s attention is through the use of lighting. Lighting is absolutely key to a good black and white photograph because it affects all five of the cornerstone attributes that we always attempt to infuse into our black and white pictures...Contrast,Tone, Shadow, Shape and Texture.
Also, by using light intensity to draw your audience's eye to important areas of your frame, you still have the ability to 'tell' them what you want them to look at. Just like you did when you waited for the sun to light up the rock in the foreground. Which, in my mind's eye, turned out to be time well spent! You certainly have an eye for black and white and thanks again for sharing another of your stunning images.
Wallace Idaho train station
I am still getting use to this whole facebook thing. I am hoping to use it as a forum to share some of my favorite images. I am starting my Face book adventure with the past. Thanks to a friend, I was able to borrow a high end negative scanner and scan some of my images from years past. These images are easy to pick out, because they look old and they are Black and White.
This image is of the Wallace Train station in Wallace Idaho in December taken 1979. It was a project I was working on for my Father who was fond of this train station. A friend and I drove from Moscow to Wallace on not so good roads. Got the shot and drove back. I will never forget, sliding sideways on the ice roads just outside of Coeur D'alene.
This was shot on medium format black and white film, The Wallace train station has moved from this location to make room for the interstate.
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